This blog has been set up so local people can find out what is going on in the world of Moths, Butterflys and dragonflies in Calderdale.If you have any ID problems put up your photo's and someone will try and help you to id it.

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Hi Phillip , Richard all , very interesting as there were no records in the whole of Yorkshire last year .!! But it looks very good for this species and the Yorkshire recorder is happy with the id. Also it has not been recorded in our area before so well done and many thanks to you both for your time. Andy ... Its fantastic how the WWW helps in so many ways...

Friday, 27 May 2016

An interesting day scoping for new sites potentially of interest for recording on the way stopping off elsewhere on the way back this moth was found flying over Heather and Bilberry a small skittish moth moving form heather to heather and merging inconspicuously. Pennistone Hill Unfortunately my camera is duffed and could only react quick enough to get these .Thanks to Richard for confirmation

0797 Neofaculta ericetella ABH 35.017

Also notable in passing at this location to all Yorkshire Folk is a miraculous village that suddenly appeared from nowhere !!!! Made of Wood . Its there for about a week or 10 days if you are up that way Pennsitone Hill Filming

Slightly of the theme of Moths this Tephritid Fruit Fly about 4- 5 mm was seen displaying on Marsh thistle Cirsium palustre

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

This moth just landed on our window pane, it has 20mm wingspan and happily let me measure it. I wonder what species it is; possibly a pug? The sunlight has made the iridescence bluer on one of the wings.

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

We just found one moth today - pretty confident its a Brown Siler-lines - a lovely moth on the banking's of heather and bracken at Blake Dean.
There were plenty of Orange-tip Butterflies in the crags (20+), 1 Peacock at Blake Dean and maybe 20+ G V Whites mainly in the crags. Some fantastic swathes of Bluebells throughout the crags.

Not a lot doing this week with the trap but a couple I did get are posing some questions on i d...

I think this one above is a Brindled Pug - maybe the dark form.

This one below was very pale grey, looking slightly smaller than the above with a different wing shape, a very distinct spot and a black 'kinked' line down the forewing ! There seem to be a few options in the book but that don't seem to quite 'fit the bill'. Maybe Ash Pug ?

Sunday, 15 May 2016

Saturday, 14 May 2016

This one was taken at Catterick yesterday ABN 8.002 BF/30 Feathered Bright Incurvaria masculella and I believe common on Hawthorn in Calderdale this one not so feathered as a female only the males having the Pectinate antennae

Friday, 13 May 2016

Not a lot this week so far - except a good few of these tiny ones with various gold markings and not easy to get decent photos. Not even sure which group they are in !
Also Garden Carpet x 1 last night

Sunday, 8 May 2016

From 6th May
Common Quaker x 9
Small Quaker (I think, smaller than Common Quaker but they are very similar. Is it still time to get them?) x 2
Brindled Pug x 2
Agonopterix hert x1
Twenty-plume Moth x 1 (first time here)
Oak Nyc ? x 1
Unidentified x 1

Twenty-plume Moth (2 poses of same moth)

V Pug

Oak Nycteoline maybe - not sure ?

Not sure about this one - quite a large moth but not sure if it's just worn or what ?

Thursday, 5 May 2016

Sorry guys but I am not going to be able to make it on Friday or Sat this week ,,but I am planning to run the trap on Norland Moor on Sunday night for a few hours.. Looks like its gonna be hot on Sunday.. I can give anyone a lift if they wish to join me.. Cheers

Last night May 4th - first time this year with the moth trap outside.
Hebrew Character x 2
Common Quaker x 6
Double-striped Pug x 2 (very small)
Iron Prominent - a lovely moth x 1 (a first for us - that's what we think it is)

Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Had a thorough search in Common Bank Wood on lots of lichen covered walls and Trees, and also Stoodley Glen but no Lichenella Cases found,they must be very localised ! I did find 6 cases of Diplodoma laichartingella at the base of Beech Trees facing South though !